To start off the day, we attended a 9 am lecture about wind energy. The professor talked about the different ways that turbines work, as well as some formulas on their sustainable energy. During this lecture, we learned about lift, drag, and power, and the ways in which you calculate them. This was a very engineering-based lecture, which required a lot of outside knowledge, but in the end was very informative.
Next, we visited Windpark Groen, the largest onshore wind farm in the Netherlands, located in eastern Flevoland. This is a very new farm, created in March of 2024, and is the start of a renewable energy project for the region. It has eleven wind farms, a total of 86 turbines, and an annual production of about 1.8 billion kWh of sustainable electricity. The turbines can reach up to 250 meters or about 820 feet. They contribute significantly to regional decarbonization and renewable energy supply.
Elburg is a historic fortified town in the province of Gelderland, located in the eastern Netherlands. It is often referred to as “the fortress of the Veluwe” for its well-preserved medieval layout and position. Its first ever written record was 796 AD and was rebuilt between 1392-1396 with the addition of a moat, city walls, and a rectangular street plan, strange for that time period. It was granted city rights in the 13th century and was once a thriving fishing town. Its medieval town center is a protected historical area, with cobbled streets, narrow alleyways, and preserved ramparts. Today, it has a population of about 23,000, with many of the original buildings, including the church, still intact.